Crescendo was written by L. Marie Wood, who was nice enough to send us an advanced review copy. This book should be out around January 2004 from PublishAmerica. Hopefully, you will keep this novel in mind when haunting your local bookseller the 1st part of next year. Crescendo is a novel of twisted, haunting family secrets from the past reaching out to alter the fate of a man and his family in the present. This novel was a nice change of pace for me since I've been reading a lot of blood and guts hardcore horror as of late. Don't get me wrong, Crescendo has plenty of disturbing imagery and nasty scenes that will give most readers a jolt. I enjoyed the fact that this book worked well as a total piece, rather than just a bunch of scenes thrown together to shock you. It took me about 22 pages to get into this, but then I was hooked. The story reveals the main characters gnarled family tree and his own short-comings which make the guy a little less than sympathetic. The horrid visions he experiences as his family's past reaches out for him are some of the novel's best and strongest moments. In terms of debauchery, Crescendo offers much. Murder, adultery, child abuse, and a few doses of twisted sex should bring a smile to any horror or mystery fans face. There's a wicked atmosphere which grows page after page right until the end; an end which is both unexpected and a bit fitting. Crescendo reaches its name sake and I'd recommend it if you wanna read something that's creepy in a modern setting, but haunted by shadows from the past. Go to www.lmariewood.com for info on the author and Crescendo's current status.